Ashvaghosha

Ashvaghosha, (born 80 ce?, Ayodhya, India—died 150?, Peshawar), philosopher and poet who is considered India’s greatest poet before Kalidasa (5th century) and the father of Sanskrit drama; he popularized the style of Sanskrit poetry known as kavya.

Ashvaghosha was born a Brahman. Legend obscures the man, but it is known that he was an outspoken opponent of Buddhism until, after a heated debate with a noted Buddhist scholar on the relative merits of Hinduism and Buddhism, he accepted the value of Buddhism and became a disciple of his erstwhile opponent.

While in Varanasi (Benares), where the Buddha had preached his first sermon, Ashvaghosha saw the city conquered by the Kushan (Kushana) emperor Kanishka, a devout Buddhist. A huge war indemnity was demanded, and the ruler of Varanasi handed over instead a symbolic tribute, a begging bowl said to have been used by both the Buddha and Ashvaghosha. Apparently the philosopher rose to the position of spiritual counsellor in Kanishka’s court at Peshawar.

A brilliant orator, Ashvaghosha spoke at length on Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) Buddhist doctrine at the fourth Buddhist council, which he helped organize. His fame lay largely in his ability to explain the intricate concepts of Mahayana Buddhism. Among the works attributed to him are the Mahayana-shraddhotpada-shastra (“The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana”), the Buddhacarita (“The Life of Buddha”), in verse, and the Mahalankara (“Book of Glory”).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Matt Stefon, Assistant Editor.